Movies are great, they can make you think, cry and change your whole worldview in 90 minutes. Others are just plain old dumb fun - and that's equally as important. Teenage gross-out comedies were ten-a-penny in the 00's but there was one movie that perfected it. Superbad.
We have similar movies today (see the excellent Booksmart) but Superbad is an era-defining flick that is just as relevant to teenagers today, just don't show it to yours. Now on Amazon Prime Video, make sure the kids are in bed and prepare to have an outrageous time. Even critics, typically above this kind of thing, love this movie with an 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The heroes of this chaotic caper (if you can call them that) are Seth and Evan, played by a baby-faced Jonah Hill and even babier-faced Michael Cera. Their mission? To get drunk and lose their virginity before college. Not exactly a noble cause, but one many teenagers have embarked on.
What follows is a mess of awkwardness, misadventure and some genuinely sweet chemistry between Jonah Hill and Emma Stone. Allegedly based on the real-life adventures of writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, I really hope that some of the wilder elements (particularly the police officers) are pure fiction (but please say that the legend of McLovin is real). Rogen and Goldberg have gone on the create some of the biggest comedies of the 21st century, but many argue this is their finest work.
Let's be honest this is a loud, brash and not particularly intellectual comedy, but there is a genuine message of friendship here, as well as not rushing to grow up and give in to peer pressure. Most importantly though, for the pure number of genuine belly laughs, you'll struggle to find something better.
If you're after something still funny but with a stronger story, then the best streaming services have plenty to offer. Try the Daniel Craig heist movie on Netflix or my favourite sci-fi show on Prime Video.
